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SINGAPORE – On a 3km stretch of Upper Serangoon Road are three religious institutions that have stood the test of time.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hougang Tou Mu Kung Temple, and Haji Yusoff Mosque are nearly four centuries old combined, with two, the church and the temple, declared as national monuments. The road itself is almost 200 years old.
These places of worship were among 18 sites on the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) latest self-guided trail, the Hougang Heritage Trail, which was unveiled on Thursday (October 29).
The trail, NHB 20, follows the launch of another central trail in Pasir Ris last December, when NHB said it was working to launch more trails of this type to bring the nation’s heritage to the doorstep of Singaporeans.
The new Hougang trail also features the largest number of community contributions of all NHB trails, with 28 people familiar with Hougang contributing their stories through interviews and photos. The old trails mostly had between 10 and 20 contributions from the community.
Such contributions help make the trail more interesting for visitors, said NHB Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Community Alvin Tan, as historical events alone may have limited appeal.
Hougang, which the Housing Board first announced as a new residential town in 1979, gets its name from settlers who used Teochew’s term “Au Kang” (back of the river) to refer to Sungei Serangoon, which continues parallel to Upper Serangoon Road today.
Beyond the town’s name, Teochew’s influence on Hougang is evident in other landmarks such as the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which has its roots in the arrival here in the 19th century of Catholic Teochew immigrants.
To this day, the church continues to provide religious services in Teochew.
Mr. Bernard James Braberry, parish administrator and resident of Hougang since 1985, said: “What is special about the city to me is its people and how spiritual they are.
“In the early hours, when our church doors were open before Covid-19 hit, many would come and offer prayers, no matter what religion they were from.”
A diverse mix of other communities and cultures within the city that continues to accentuate its colorful character is also displayed on the trail, which has three themed routes to suit different interests.
The first takes visitors along a 3.5 km stretch of Upper Serangoon Road, highlighting eight Hougang landmarks, including religious sites and ancient businesses.
Those wishing to learn more about community groups, such as charities and clan associations, can take the Service Institutions route, which passes the Ramakrishna Mission, which built a children’s home on Bartley Road in 1943 to house homeless children. affected by World War II. and the Serangoon Khiung Jai Co-Villagers Association, the Hainan clan association that established the Guang Yi Opera Company. The route takes visitors to six sites.
Finally, those with an eye for building design features will enjoy the Architectural Gem Trail, which features seven heritage sites built along the trail.
Various types of buildings are displayed on this route, including pre-war commercial stores, iconic apartment blocks, and the Kancanarama Buddhist Temple, which has an intricately carved roof.
Tan said NHB hopes to encourage Singaporeans to explore their own backyards via its trails during this period of travel restrictions and rediscover the delights of local heritage.
“We hope that Singaporeans come away with a renewed appreciation of what Singapore has to offer in terms of unique heritage experiences with strong local appeal.”
Heritage buffs can expect three more such trails to launch in 2021. The first will take visitors to another heart city, Sembawang, while a second Harmony Walks trail that focuses on the Telok Ayer area will follow its example. The trail shows the religious and cultural harmony of Singapore.
The launch of the first was scheduled for this year, but has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Details about the third path remain under wraps, but Tan hinted that it would be one “that everyone will enjoy.”
The Hougang Heritage Trail companion guide and map are available in four languages and can be downloaded from NHB’s heritage portal, Roots.sg.
Although some of NHB’s previous trails had a companion mobile app, the board said it has removed the app as Roots.sg has been optimized for mobile viewing, which will be more convenient for users.
Printed copies of the guide will also be available at NHB museums, Aljunied-Hougang City Hall (Hougang office), as well as the Hougang, Punggol, Paya Lebar Kovan, Serangoon and Eunos community clubs, and the Aljunied and Kaki Bukit.
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